pink salmon

noun

1. a small Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, distinguished by its small scales and long anal fin and by the bright red spawning coloration of males, occurring from California to Alaska and in waters of Japan: fished commercially and for sport.

pink salmon

noun

1. any salmon having pale pink flesh, esp Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, of the Pacific Ocean
2. the flesh of such a fish

Word History and Origins

Origin of pink salmon¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Chum and sockeye salmon have been the most frequently caught salmon species, followed by pink salmon.

From Science Daily

The distribution of worms per gram of fish showed that, over the past 4 decades, anisakid levels had increased in chum and pink salmon but remained constant in coho and sockeye, the research team reported last month in Ecology and Evolution.

From Science Magazine

The rising numbers of worms in chum and pink salmon could reflect the fact that those species tend to live near shore as juveniles, closer to marine mammals that perpetuate the parasites’ life cycle.

From Science Magazine

Alternatively, it could mean that parasites that infect chum and pink salmon are thriving, Mastick says.

From Science Magazine

Chinook and pink salmon lived in the middle of those ranges.

From Science Daily